Skyward Sword, an Amazing Game and Totally Worth Buying, but Not the Best in the Series...Which is Still Amazing!
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword was long awaited for by Zelda fans and owners of the Wii. Even before the game came out there was a bit of controversy over the inclusion of Motion Plus technology in the game as well as mixed opinions on the graphic style of the game. Unless there are huge problems in these aspects (i.e. graphics are so bad it hinders the game play, same with the controls), these are mostly personal preferences. I will get into these aspects of the game later. First I will talk about the story (what it is, how it differs from other Zelda games, and how it's the same).
Story
The story is completely unique from other Zelda games as it is the origin story of the Master Sword, as well as an explanation on the character of Zelda herself (how DOES she happen to show up in so many different time periods?).
The adventure begins on an airborne island in a little village called Skyloft. Link (or whatever you choose to name him) is in knight school and must attend a ceremony in order to become a full-fledged knight. Link ends up winning the ceremony, after having to find his stolen bird (called a Loftwing), and is given a sail (basically a parachute) made by Zelda. Later, Zelda and Link go flying together, but a tornado steals Zelda away and she is swallowed by the clouds. Link has to go save her from the unknown land. In order to do this he needs the sacred sword of the Goddess (which he also has to improve along the way). This is how the journey begins.
This story differs from the usual Zelda game in that it is an origin of where the Master Sword comes from (the sword of the Goddess) and why Zelda is always around. By the end of the game you find out that Zelda is basically an incarnation of the Goddess herself, sent to the earth to make sure all is right. This is why Zelda is always around. The story is the same as most every other Zelda in that you are fighting to save the world, while mainly trying to rescue/protect Zelda. Although the final boss is not exactly Ganondorf (his name is Demise), he is basically the same as Ganondorf and is actually the "deity" (or whatever he actually is) who "makes" Ganondorf later as a constant hindrance to Link in order to destroy/rule the world. In that way this game is basically the same as all the other Zelda story lines. Hopefully in the next game there will be a different story more like Majora's Mask where the land is different (not Hyrule) and the final boss/main antagonist is not Ganondorf or Ganondorf related.
Graphics
I love the graphic style of Skyward Sword, personally. Graphics are more of a personal opinion though, so there may be some who disagree. One aspect I like is how most Zelda games have unique graphics to each game (Majora's Mask an exception for being basically the same as Ocarina of Time). This makes each game feel like it is its own, not just a bunch of sequels with the same graphics. Hopefully Nintendo keeps on this path of differing graphics for each title, each fitting the concept and game play of the game.
The style is supposed to be like a painting, or as some say a mixture of Wind Waker and Twilight Princess. The graphics do what they are supposed to and give the feeling of a painting come to life. Not just what is seen up close, but also the scenery in the distance is beautifully portrayed. Obviously the graphics are not going to be as "detailed" or realistic as an Xbox 360 or PS3 game, such as Skyrim, but it is the best the Wii can do, which is what should be taken into consideration. It amazes me how a system like the Wii, with its numerous graphical limitations could play a game as stunning as Skyward Sword. Graphics don't deter me from a game, no matter how bad they are (which Skyward Sword does not have bad graphics), it is the game play that I find the most important.
Game Play
One word can be used to describe the game play of Skyward Sword: Phenomenal! The use of Motion Plus for this game was probably the best thing Nintendo could have done. You swing left, Link swings left. You wing up/right, so does Link. No more mindless, furious waggling for this game. There is also the limited amount of items you gain in the game that makes the game great. Because there is a small amount of items it is easy to remember the motions required for each item resulting in the seamless use of each item when required. Every item requires Motion Plus too, so you truly feel like you have absolute control over what happens, not just pressing a button and hoping it does exactly as you want it to. You have control for that precision you desire! The character of Fi also plays an important role in game play (Fi is the equivalent of Navi in Ocarina of Time or Midna in Twilight Princess). Fi can be used to find items, hearts, or even Zelda! Since the main point of the game is to find Zelda this becomes crucial in knowing where to go next. All of these aspects make the game truly great. I highly doubt that without these aspects of game play and controls this game would be easily forgotten and would not be considered as good. Hopefully Nintendo can keep this up with integrating new technology into their controls for the Zelda series.
An Interesting Note on a Dungeon
Truth be told, I did not find this out myself. I read this on an article on zeldadungeon.net a month or so ago. In one of the dungeons called the Ancient Cistern (the equivalent of the water dungeon of past Zelda games) the puzzles and design of the dungeon is based on the short story called The Spider's Web. Read the article Allegories in Architecture: The Ancient Cistern on zeldadungeon.net for more detailed information on that. I assure anyone who looks this up will be amazed at the details the makers of Zelda put into their games, I wish I knew more on this story before going through the dungeon because it would have meant so much more to me then (I still absolutely loved it before, I just love it that much more now).
Conclusion
The Legend of Zelda is one of the best, if not the best, game series ever. Skyward Sword is an amazing game and should be purchased and played by every Zelda fan, or any fan of great video game entertainment. Is it the best in the series? No. That is a difficult task to achieve (Ocarina of Time is probably the greatest Zelda game ever made). Does this make it a bad game? Not at all! It is an amazing game, even if not the best in the series. Making a game better that Ocarina of Time is quite a difficult feat, but it could very well happen eventually. Skyward Sword has beautiful graphics, an intriguing story (not all of which I explained, so there is more for those of you who haven't played yet!), and amazing game play that makes this a wonderful gaming experience that can take 50 plus hours to complete.